30
Aug '25
August 2025: You Freed His Family from 7 Years of Slavery
30
Aug '25
Five-thirty a.m., Lahore, Pakistan. Light flooded his eyes as dread unsettled his stomach.
For a few sleeping hours, Shamoun had finally forgotten the shame he carried. But now, as Pakistan’s bright sun invaded the room, he faced a brutal remembrance: he was a slave—a descendant of slave grandparents, a husband of a slave wife, and a father to slave children. For seven years, he’d watched their childhood slip away in that brickyard, their chances at normal life seeming more remote each day. Then, you came in, and something unbelievable happened. One morning, that same Pakistani sun invaded their dwelling—but this time, Shamoun didn’t mind at all. He and his family had woken up free.
Shamoun’s Road to Slavery
Shamoun wasn’t always a slave. He and his wife were born free, married, met Jesus, had two sons, and treasured the same dreams as most young families. But soon…
…cancer attacked his younger brother’s brain, and uterine fibroids pierced his wife’s frame with severe complications. With nowhere to turn, Shamoun exchanged their freedom to a slave-driving ‘lender’ to save their lives. His brother died soon after, anyway—but it was too late. Shamoun’s family was already trapped in a cycle of high-interest debt slavery few ever escape.
Ever since, they’ve spent their days molding bricks by hand from dawn to dusk in the piercing sun—a brutal slavery which has cost them dearly. Shamoun’s older son (13) has missed the most formative years of his education and still cannot read or write. His youngest son (9) sat out kindergarten to fourth grade. His wife has endured years of hard labor despite continued frailty. All for what?
$1236. That’s the debt that has kept them bound for years, compounding at high-interest rates, never dented by the wages of their slavery. It seems hard to believe for us Westerners—but for impoverished Pakistanis, it’s an age-old scenario understood all too well and feared all too often. For years, it seemed that $1236 would follow them to their graves—until a few weeks ago.
Shamoun’s Renewed Hopes and Plea for Freedom
Our generous donors stepped up to the plate, paying the family’s debt and shifting their destiny forever.
On August 16th, Aneela delivered the news that their slavery would finally end. Shamoun’s response carried the weight of a father who finally saw a second chance: “We are very thankful to you that you released us from this burden. We will never turn back to this slave life again!” His wife’s response was more lighthearted: “It feels like Christmas!”
On August 18th, they put on clean, new clothes for the first time in years, boarded a rickshaw, and left the brickyards for good. Finally unshackled, they’re dreaming of how God will redeem their future. Soon, they’ll move to their parents’ village home, where they can gain financial stability and find a powerful local church. Shamoun and his wife will finally get to work as free Pakistanis, and God-willing, the children will soon begin their education. This family is at last looking forward to a bright future thriving in Jesus as freedmen—and all this thanks to your prayers and generosity.
Watch: ▶️ Meet Shamoun’s Family
(Video Produced By Our Partner, Aneela of IAGM)
Recently, our partner, Aneela of IAGM, encouraged Shamoun to dream of freedom, reminding him that God can do the impossible. Inspired to hope again, he sent an appeal through Aneela to tell his story and ask for help, ending with these words:
“Time has passed, and I still find myself unable to repay the debt of $1236 that has kept my family trapped in this brutal cycle of servitude. The weight of this burden is overwhelming, and I am reaching out to you in hopes of finding some kindness and support. If anyone can help us break free from this life of bonded labor, I would be eternally grateful.”
Then, your prayers kicked into gear.
Christian, You Can Set Captives Free
Shamoun’s family was just one human cog in Pakistan’s massive exploitation machine.
To this day, more than four million slaves run over forty thousand brick kilns across Pakistan, longing daily for hope only Jesus can provide. We can’t free every slave and right every wrong—but by God’s grace, together we can free some, and show Jesus’s love to many. That’s why recently we’ve started initiatives to provide Bibles, clean water, and shoes for slaves. Today, we launch our next initiative—the Freedom Fund. Do you want to help a slave family finally become free? You can donate towards the next emancipation at ShareGodsHope.com/SetThemFree.
We want to thank you for winning the unreached—from the brickyards of Pakistan to the villages of Laos. Most face spiritual slavery, others physical—but together we’re sharing Jesus’s hope and setting captives free. We invite you to join this beautiful harvest by clicking one of the buttons below.
